


Fall of the Fell Star

by Carbecex



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Claudeleth, Derdriu, F/M, Flashbacks, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), Garreg Mach Officers' Academy (Fire Emblem), Implied/Referenced Torture, Psychological Trauma, Slow Burn, Spoilers for Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Spoilers for Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Wyverns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:27:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25583611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carbecex/pseuds/Carbecex
Summary: Claude felt part of him die when he saw his Teach plummet into the gorge. She couldn't be dead, not her, not now. He won't accept it.Claude sees Byleth fall during the Battle of Garreg Mach and is determined to find her alive, no matter what anyone else says and no matter the costs. But he's not the only one who wants the wielder of the Sword of the Creator on their side, even as he's starting to see her as something more...
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44





	1. The Fall

This was supposed to be the week of their final certification exams. They were supposed to graduate, hug each other goodbye, and return to their lives of nobility or chivalry. Unfortunately, that’s not what they had in store for them that day.

A great white dragon. Demonic beasts. A seemingly endless enemy assault with a seventeen-year-old in command. The students of the Officer’s Academy were fighting a most bizarre battle indeed.

The battlefield was Garreg Mach Monastery, the headquarters of the Church of Seiros; familiar to them but also to their opponent. Edelgard, the newly crowned Emperor of Adrestia, had directed her troops to various strategic locations as they swarmed the monastery like ants, breaking through their defenses with ease. She had clearly been planning this for quite some time.

Many of the students were ready to fight to defend the monastery. Encouraged by Lady Rhea and Professor Byleth, they thought that victory was assured. But this battle was wearing them down faster than they thought. Although they were students of the Officer’s Academy, many of them had never seen a real, organized battle, and fewer had ever killed a person. On top of that, they found themselves fighting those of their classmates who had sworn allegiance to Edelgard. The hesitation to harm familiar faces cost some of them their lives.

Bodies were strewn everywhere; bodies of Knights, soldiers, and students alike, their blood soaking the ground to form a sticky red mud. The Imperial soldiers caught in the path of the white dragon’s beam attacks had instantly turned into ash. The air stank of burning flesh and scorched hair. 

He was loath to admit it, but even Claude was starting to feel fatigued. He wasn’t entirely used to wielding a sword yet, and though Professor Byleth had tried to instruct him, he still wasn’t the top of the class, that was for sure. She had strongly emphasized that a varied skill set was essential to survival on the battlefield. She was right, she always was, but in the past, he had relied on his ability to avoid direct confrontation, picking off enemies from a safe distance with his trusty bow and directing his troops with brilliant schemes from afar.

But this battle was completely different than the bandit skirmishes he was used to. There were no trees, no hiding places, and no chances for surprise attacks. The enemy reinforcements had overwhelmed them almost instantly after Edelgard’s strike team had fallen back. A seemingly endless stream of soldiers flooded through the gates, and soon every student he could see was engaged in a desperate fight for their lives. Close range shooting became almost impossible, and Claude wasn’t about to die from stubbornness, so he pulled out the steel sword he kept for situations such as this.

Fighting with a sword was entirely different than with a bow, and some of these soldiers were way more experienced (not to mention bigger and stronger) than he was. His arms were beginning to feel like jelly, and every clash sent another shock through his bones. His steps were getting sloppier. Sweat soaked his academy uniform and clung to him uncomfortably. His throat felt raw from yelling out orders and breathing in smoke, and his mouth was painfully dry. His ears rang from the dragon’s ferocious roars. He knew that, at this rate, he might have to call for another strategic retreat.

His Golden Deer had been separated from him, cornered by Imperial soldiers before he could react. The only friendly face he could see was Dimitri, who appeared to have completely lost his wits and was fighting like an actual lion. He hadn’t said a single word, and Claude felt incredibly unnerved by the wild look in his eyes.

Professor Hanneman and Professor Manuela were doing their best to direct what remained of their respective houses, but none of them held a candle to his. Thank the gods they had learned from the Ashen Demon herself, the ruthless mercenary who cut through hordes of enemies without the smallest hint of expression on her face. Even so, he would never be caught calling her such a name now.

But where was Teach? For a brief moment, the fighting lulled enough that he was able to check his surroundings. 

“What is going on?” he asked. The only person in earshot was Dimitri, and he completely ignored Claude in favor of skewering an Imperial on his lance. The future duke decided that keeping his mouth shut was probably in his best interest. He decided to focus on the more important matters.

The smoke in some areas was too thick to see through. He scanned quickly, and saw the white dragon being tackled by a pack of Demonic Beasts.

He was still unsure where the dragon’s allegiances lay, but it didn’t appear to be attacking any students or knights. It was entirely focused on crushing any Imperial in sight. He briefly considered coming to its aid. A beast like that would be quite the valuable asset. He didn’t know where it had come from, but he wanted to take advantage of it while it was there. Imagine riding that into battle rather than a puny wyvern!

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Byleth charged into sight like the white beast’s personal knight in shining armor. With a yell, she swung the Sword of the Creator, its segments extending out like a razor-sharp whip. It struck one of the Demonic Beasts directly in its grotesque mask with a resounding _clang_ that shattered it into dust. The beast was stunned, and the dragon threw it off as if it were a ragdoll. The others shortly followed their companion.

Claude smirked _.  _ How anyone thought they could surpass Byleth was beyond him. She could take out an entire battalion on her own and barely break a sweat.

“Claude, look out!” __

Finally, one of his Golden Deer had broken free. He turned at Leonie’s warning cry just in time to block a soldier’s axe from cleaving him in two. 

“Jeez, is this how you treat children?” he wheezed, his witty remark hiding just how difficult it was to stay standing against the Imperial’s strength. 

Before the soldier could reply, his red-headed classmate had ridden up and speared him through the middle, breaking the bind and relieving the intense pressure. His arms were definitely going to feel that one in the morning.

He looked at the corpse with pity. How many more people, innocent or not, are going to die for Edelgard’s cause? He wasn’t even entirely sure what that cause was at this point.

He felt a harsh poke to his shoulder. Leonie had jabbed at him with the butt of her lance. “Pay attention, Claude! The Alliance can’t lose you now!”

He dramatically rubbed at his shoulder and shot her a wink. “Thanks Leonie, glad to see we’ve formed such a deep personal connection.”

She grinned in response. “You know what I meant, moron. Now let’s win this!”

Claude didn’t have the heart nor the time to tell her that that was incredibly unlikely before she turned and spurred her horse forward. It didn’t matter how skilled they were or that they had Teach on their side. Sheer numbers would almost always win out in the end.

Once again, his attention was directed toward the great white dragon. It was looking downward; the wall having collapsed behind it.

“Why did you come?” It growled. It was speaking to Byleth, who was wiping the beast blood from her sword.

“Wow, how about a thank you?” Claude muttered. He shrugged and started towards the beast. He didn’t know how he would convince the mythical creature to fight for his dreams, but he was always good at improvisation.

Suddenly, Byleth whirled around and took a defensive stance. Claude followed her gaze and saw the pale face of Thales flanked by mages and Imperial soldiers. There was no denying it now, Edelgard was in league with the people who had murdered Jeralt and tried to trap Byleth in everlasting darkness. Time for some good old-fashioned revenge. Hopefully without the whole ‘fate worse than death’ thing this time.

Before Claude could change direction or grab his bow, Thales had cast an orb of dark, evil magic that hit Byleth directly in the chest. She was blown backwards, and the dragon roared in rage.

Claude finally got his body to obey and he drew his bow, charging forward. His Teach was in trouble.

Byleth managed to dispel the orb right before she could be blown off the cliff surrounding the monastery. She slid to a stop right at the edge and relaxed from her defensive stance. Claude smirked and felt himself relax slightly, expecting her to charge forward back into the fray, the furious light of the Sword of the Creator cleaving through the hideous creatures.

But to his horror, the ground started cracking beneath her. Time seemed to freeze as she fell, her eyes going wide with shock as the soil fell away. Claude felt his own heart stop. No way. Not her. She couldn’t die like this.

But time marched on, and the scream that followed as she plummeted into the darkness would haunt him for the rest of his days.

“TEACH!” he cried, his vision turning red and his lungs straining to keep up with his renewed charge. He barely registered that the mighty dragon, which had given a roar that sounded more like a wail, was being overwhelmed by Demonic Beasts once more. All he cared about was Byleth. He had to save Byleth. He couldn’t lose her, not before they had achieved the ambitions they had wished for on the night of the ball.

“Claude! What are you doing!? We have to get out of here!”

His mind snapped out of it almost instantly at Hilda’s voice. She had flown in on her wyvern. She was panicked, but nothing could match the racing of his heart.  _ She didn’t see it. _

“But Teach…”

“She’ll be fine! We’re being overwhelmed, Claude! We have to save ourselves!”

Claude looked longingly at the cliff. He knew she was right, and he felt his resolve beginning to crumble. Losing Teach would be a massive blow, but his Golden Deer were just as important right now. And they were, as far as he knew, still alive. Not to mention that their fierce dragon ally seemed to have vanished as quickly as it appeared. 

His tactical mind won out in the end. Taking a deep breath, Claude refocused on his unofficial second-in-command. “Is everyone else alright?”

“They’ve gone ahead. Hop on.”

Claude took Hilda’s outstretched hand and climbed up behind her. The brown-haired boy drew his bow again, picking off the nearby soldiers that had spotted the wyvern rider’s descent. As they flew away, and Garreg Mach became smaller and smaller, he felt like he was leaving a part of himself at the bottom of the gorge.


	2. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one is as much of a tosser as Lord Gloucester.
> 
> Claude and the Deer discuss their next move.

The atmosphere in House Gloucester was gloomy. The grand estate, with its impressive orchards and expansive farmland, was now a safe point for the survivors of the Imperial assault. All of the mages in the area had been called in to help the weary students that had managed to escape the fight. The wounds ranged from scrapes and bruises to amputation, and many were suffering from various degrees of burns and smoke inhalation. But they were alive. The same could not be said for many of their classmates.

However, Lord Gloucester had made it clear that those in acceptable condition could only stay for two days at the most. “It’s a courtesy,” he had said, his eyes cold. “I plan to ally with the Empire, but I owe Duke Riegan a favor. All debts are now paid, boy.” Lorenz frowned but said nothing in Claude’s defense. His father was known for his stubbornness.

Claude was usually a master at putting on a smile for the most despicable of politicians. He could manipulate them like a mage casting a spell. That didn’t mean he enjoyed it. Some say he’s a great leader, but if there was some way to change the world without dealing with nobles and politicians, he’d much rather take that option. Today, he was not in the mood to deal with all of this nonsense.

Every Golden Deer could see the dangerous gleam in Claude’s eyes, like he was ready to throttle the man for such a transgression. But Claude just bowed stiffly. “Thank you for your… generosity. May my classmates and I speak somewhere privately?”

Lord Gloucester agreed on the condition that a few guards accompany them. They led the Golden Deer, along with the students they had recruited throughout the year, to a large, immaculate study, complete with ceiling high bookcases, a grand piano of mahogany, and several Almyran art pieces on the walls that made Claude’s eyes narrow. Clearly conquests from merchants of his homeland. And was that a wyvern skull? Still, he kept his expression as neutral as usual.

“What is this about, Claude?” Lysithea demanded. “Is the professor on her way?”

Claude turned his gaze back to his Housemates. They were looking at him with a mixture of sadness, hope, and fear. “I don’t think so.”

The other Golden Deer were shocked into silence as Claude recounted their professor’s fate. When he finished, he couldn’t meet their eyes, shame burning his soul. If only he had been faster… If only he had stayed by Teach’s side, she would be here now, telling them to not lose faith and planning for their retaliation. Instead, it was all he could do not to give up then and there. An unfamiliar feeling of despair had washed over him.

“So… the professor is dead?” Marianne said, her voice shaking. Tears flooded her eyes as she pressed her hands together in prayer. Ashe, who was standing next to her, looked like his mind was far away, his gaze vacant.

“She can’t be…someone that pathetic couldn’t possibly take her out,” Felix growled, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. Sylvain reached out and gripped his shoulder, motioning to the guards who were eyeing the swordsman suspiciously. With a huff, he released his weapon and crossed his arms.

“No one could survive a fall like that…” Lysithea whispered, as if being quieter would mean it wasn’t true. Mercedes clasped her hands together and started praying softly with Marianne.

Leonie shook her head sadly. “Not even Captain Jeralt…”

“I am difficulty…HAVING difficulty to imagine her as dead.” Petra was wringing her hands together. Claude recalled that her homeland was still under the Empire’s control.

“Me too, Petra.” Dorothea sighed. “I can’t believe it… but it has to be true. No one could’ve saved her.”

“No. She’s alive.”

They all stared at their House Leader. “Surely you cannot be serious, Claude,” Lorenz weakly chided. “Even with the power she possesses, it can be difficult to see even the shallowest portion of the bottom of that gorge on the brightest days.”

Marianne choked back a sob at his words, hiding her face in her hands. Hilda pulled her into a hug, fighting her own tears and glaring at the noble. In any other situation, he would have been surprised to see the carefree girl cry.

“You’re wrong. You saw the same thing I did in the Sealed Forest. She was as good as dead then, too. But we refused to believe that, and she tore a hole in the sky!” Claude clenched his fists, fierce determination, or perhaps wild hope, blazing in his emerald eyes. “She’s alive, I just know it.”

“And what do you suggest, Claude? Are we to scour the bottom of the gorge for a broken corpse? Do you truly need absolute proof that--”?

“We have to search for her, Lorenz! I won’t give up, not until I see for myself that she’s dead!”

The rest of the Golden Deer were silent, unable to argue against such a fiery declaration. Many of them had begun to cry, their grief hitting them at last. No one spoke for several moments, and Claude was beginning to accept that he would have to find their professor alone. He clenched his fists, fighting to keep his voice calm.

“Fine, if no one wants to help me, I’ll--”

“I’ll go.”

Claude started and met Hilda’s gaze. Her jaw was set, and her eyes were sharp. Still, he could tell that even she was doubtful. He nodded his thanks. 

“I will too!” Ignatz declared, wiping at his eyes. “The professor has never given up on us, and I’m not about to give up on her!”

“Me too!” Raphael flexed his bicep proudly. “If any rubble gives us trouble, you can count on me!”

“If anyone stands in our way, I’ll fry them to a crisp!” Lysithea shouted. The guards shifted uncomfortably, but Lorenz silenced them with a sharp look.

“I’ll skewer them like the pigs they are,” Leonie growled. “I promised Jeralt I would watch her back.”

Marianne shook her head, her tears streaming down her face. “I’ll just get in the way… But if it’s for the professor, I will come as well.”

“This is fruitless, but I suppose I should accompany you,” Lorenz sighed, his palm covering his eyes. Whether he was exasperated or hiding his tears, Claude could not tell.

The others shouted their support as well, even Bernadetta and Linhardt looked determined, though the former was quaking in her boots. Claude felt his heart swell.

“That’s my Golden Deer.” He smirked. “But it wouldn’t be a good idea for all of us to go. The place is probably swarming with Imperial soldiers, not to mention Demonic Beasts. It would be better to stick to the shadows.”

“That reminds me,” Ashe piped up. “What about Abyss?”

“Yuri and the Abyssians evacuated immediately after hearing of the invasion,” Linhardt explained. “They activated all of the gates and traps before leaving so Edelgard couldn’t exploit that entrance to the monastery.”

“Besides,” Claude added. “The part she fell into is far deeper than that section of the gorge. No one knows how deep it is, at least according to the Garreg Mach Totally Not Censored We Swear Library.”

“So how are we supposed to sneak past an Imperial army on high alert?” Ignatz worried.

“We could fly in on Raven,” Hilda suggested. “She’s the quietest wyvern of the flock.”

“Good idea. We’ll fly in at night and try to find a place to camp on the gorge walls. Lucky for us, there’s a full moon in a few days, so we should be able to see well enough.” Claude thought for a moment, the gears in his brain going into overdrive. They had no time to waste. “We’ll need torches, vulneraries… Hilda, could Raven hold two people again? We could spare one other wyvern, but that’s it.”

“Not for long, after yesterday. But if we leave soon it should work if she can take breaks.”

“Good. They would be less likely to care about just one wyvern, and all the others are needed to transport the wounded home or to the capital. But Marianne, you’ll be coming too, so we’ll bring another.”

Marianne took a second to process this. “B-But Claude… what use would I be?”

“If Teach is alive, she’ll be pretty beat up. You’re the best healer in our class.”

Marianne opened her mouth to protest but then decided better of it and simply nodded.

“Any objections?” The others shook their heads, small smiles on their faces. Hope had returned, however fleeting it might be.

“Good. All of you, get to safety. And send word to my grandfather that I’m taking a bit of a detour.”

They all began to leave, but a thought suddenly sprung into his mind. “Hey Linhardt, Bernadetta, Dorothea, hold on a minute.”

The three former Black Eagles turned to him in surprise. “If you’re worried about our ties to the Empire,” Linhardt drawled sleepily. “I’d rather not see Hubert’s face again, especially after hitting him with lightning yesterday.”

Bernadetta squeaked. “Oh no, please don’t make me imagine his face! So scary! I bet he could kill us with a single look!”

“About that… I have a job for you, actually.”

“A job?” Dorothea said, a hand going to her hip. “I don’t like the sound of that…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! From here I need to make some edits, so we'll see how long it takes for the next chapter...


	3. Trust is Earned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claude is impatient, but takes the time to remember why the true treasure is friendship.

After seeing off the others and giving out some orders, the trio of Deer packed up and set off. As she had predicted, Raven the wily wyvern was not happy to fly with two people on her back. But once Marianne cooed to her and stroked her nose, Claude could swear that Raven almost wanted to switch owners.

Claude himself had taken one of the Knights of Seiros’ wyverns. The soldier had said that the wyvern, Tala, would do as he said. Tala wasn’t so sure, but Claude would rather that than the hints of hatred Raven would send his way. You’re late on feeding time by one hour ONE time, and suddenly you’re the bane of her existence.

Even with two wyverns, their approach had been painfully slow for Claude. Every precious second that went by felt like an hour had passed. Every second was another that Byleth was likely spending in the cold, dark chasm, dying a slow and painful death. Alone, with no hope for rescue.

“How much longer does she need?”

“Goddess, Claude. It hasn’t been ten minutes yet! Raven’s exhausted.” Hilda stroked the panting wyvern’s snout and cooed to her soothingly. Claude swore under his breath and continued to pace.

“Well we’re losing daylight, and fast. As soon as she can get off the ground we’re moving out.” Hilda shot him a glare, but he ignored it. Finding Byleth was all that mattered.

They made it about a third of the way there before Hilda’s wyvern protested. They had touched down near Ordelia territory, not too far from the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Only a few months prior had they crossed that very bridge to reach Gronder Field for The Battle of the Eagle and Lion. When all three houses had come together in friendly competition followed by a grand feast. How times had changed.

Now, instead of the leisurely stroll to the Field, they were rushing as fast as possible to reach the monastery. It was now noon, about five hours since they had set off, and they still had quite a ways to go. There was no telling what kind of obstacles stood in their path.

So far, they had seen a few Imperial patrols on the roads. They were most likely scouts, but Claude didn’t want to take any chances. He suggested they fly away from the roads, out of sight or at least out of arrow range. The downside was that this strategy added even more time to their unbearably long flight.

Marianne, who had been kneeling at the base of a tree praying for their professor’s safe return, stood up and brushed off her skirt. “Claude, I know you’re worried,” she said softly. “We all are. But if Raven collapses or faints in midair, we won’t be able to help the professor, and we won’t be able to return home.” She gently laid her hand on his shoulder. “The professor would want us to proceed carefully. She wouldn’t want us to rush in without thinking, and I know you don’t want to do that either.”

Claude forced his muscles to relax as he sighed. “You’re right, of course. This isn’t like me at all. I don’t know why I’m being so hasty, I just…” He trailed off. He had no idea what he was feeling. It felt like a storm was raging in his heart; anger, sadness, regret, determination, and something else he couldn’t quite identify.  _ Why do I feel like this? She’s supposed to be a weapon, a tool for me to use to achieve my ambitions. I’ve had setbacks before, this shouldn’t be any different. _

“You’ve never lost anyone before, have you, Claude?” His silence was enough. Marianne smiled sadly. “When my parents...disappeared, I felt like I had lost them forever. I’m not sure if they truly are gone, but I fear that the goddess has taken them. My adoptive father could never fill the hole they left in my heart. I know if there was ever a chance I could see them again, I would do anything to get there as quickly as I could.”

She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. “But the professor showed me that it’s important to see past your feelings when others depend on you. I’m still fighting those thoughts of uselessness, but I finally feel like I’m making progress. And… I’m letting others help me win the battle.”

_ “Claude, focus!” _

_ Claude snapped to attention at Byleth’s stern voice. He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Teach, what did you--” _

_ He suddenly found himself on his back on the dusty training ground floor, a new bruise forming just below his ribs. Byleth had jabbed him HARD with the butt of her lance. He realized his sword had been knocked from his hand, and he couldn’t counter if he wanted to. His professor loomed over him now, her expression serious and her eyes smoldering.  _

_ “Okay, ouch. What was that for?” _

_ “You had your head in the clouds. I expect that from Hilda in class, not from you in the training ground.” She made no move to help him up, so he just stayed on the ground and crossed his arms behind his head. _

_ “Sorry Teach, I guess I’m just not cut out to be a master swordsman.” _

_ Suddenly the lance was driven into the ground right next to his face. A wooden training lance into the hard as rock ground _ .  _ His face drained of all color, but he kept his signature smirk. _

_ “Are you unable to swing it?” _

_ “No?” He answered. What kind of question was that? _

_ “Did you suddenly go blind?” _

_ “Not that I’m aware of.” _

_ “Then you can become a swordsman. You have to expand your skill set, otherwise you won’t survive in close combat.” _

_ Claude remained silent, averting his gaze but trying to disguise it as a playful eye roll. _

_ “This isn’t like you, Claude,” she said, her gaze softening. “What’s on your mind?” _

_ Claude sighed and sat up, tousling his hair to free it of dust particles. “I’m an archer. I’ve trained to be one my whole life. Remember how I told you that I had to adapt to survive when I was growing up?” Byleth nodded. “Well, sneaking around and fighting from a distance is my style. Getting up in the enemy’s face… it just doesn’t feel right.” _

_ Byleth raised an eyebrow and lowered herself to the ground beside him. “I don’t think that’s the only reason.” _

_ Claude tilted his head, trying to read her thoughts. His professor always was a challenge for him in that regard. “I don’t know Teach. It’s the only one I’m aware of.” _

_ “Well, I’ll tell you what I think.” She briefly scrutinized him. “You’re afraid.” _

_ Claude was stunned. “Uh…what?” _

_ “You’re afraid.” She picked up Claude’s training sword from where it had fallen. “Your attitude is a shield. You were harassed and people even tried to assassinate you.” _

_ “That’s not—” _

_ Byleth held up a hand. “Let me finish. You lost your ability to trust anyone. People became threats. I know that feeling, Claude.” Her eyes fell to her lap. “I was cut off from the world for almost my entire life. And the first person I met at the monastery, Rhea, was someone my father told me not to trust, no matter what. I’ve been on edge around her ever since. It’s not a good feeling.” _

_ She flipped the sword around and tossed it to Claude, who caught it instinctively by the hilt. “But your teammates trust you. They trust that you are protecting them with precise shots and concise orders. They are showing you respect. It’s time that you respect them too.” _

_ She stood and finally offered her hand to him, which he took. She pulled him to his feet. “When you take this sword, you are respecting your team’s ability to protect you, to fight with you, and to follow you. You must depend on them as much as they depend on you. They must know that you are always cheering them on.” _

_ Claude said nothing for several moments, but when he finally met her gaze again, he had a mischievous glint in his eye. Before she had time to react, he swiped his sword at her, catching her in the side and making her let out a gasp of surprise. It wasn’t enough to knock her flat, but she was thrown off balance. He then kicked her feet out from under her, and suddenly their earlier positions were reversed. _

_ He pointed the sword towards her throat with a smirk. “In that case, let me show you that I can scheme, protect my teammates, and cheer them on all at the same time.” Byleth gave one of her small smiles, a rare show of emotion, as Claude shot her a playful wink. _

Claude chuckled and wiped at his eyes. “Teach seems to have that kind of effect on everyone, yeah.” He grasped the hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Marianne.”

“Of course,” she said, a small smile lighting up her face which he sheepishly returned. “We’ll find her, Claude. I know we will. The goddess will show us the way.”

“Yeah. I’m sure she will.” He didn’t think of himself as particularly pious, but it reassured him all the same. He was ready to focus on the mission. He would set his confusing feelings aside until they found Byleth and got her to safety.

“I’m going to go meditate in that tree. Let me know when Raven is up for flying again.” He needed to collect his thoughts, and the meditation techniques practiced in his homeland hadn’t failed him yet. Plus, Petra’s tree climbing lessons had given him the ability to reach the perfect places to focus. Claude’s meditation made time seem to pass faster. He allowed his mind to wander when he meditated. It let him forget that the real world was constantly out to get him.

As he walked away, Hilda and Marianne exchanged knowing looks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3~ I have like 5 projects going on thank god this was already written

**Author's Note:**

> Say hello to my first fanfic in years! And it's Claudeleth, surprise surprise. I've written a few chapters ahead, so we'll see where this goes~


End file.
